Lessons of life from sports

Robert over at Middle Zone Musings has started a group writing
project and the subject matter is so compelling that I couldn’t help but
join in. Robert ask the question, what did I learn from the world of
sports? There are so many things I have learned from the world of sports
that I could probably write a book about it. I played basketball in
high school. I was actually pretty darned good at it too. I was the
tallest girl in my freshman class, something that worried me–I was
afraid I was going to keep growing and end up an amazon–but fortunately I
peeked out at 5′6″ and stopped growing taller!

However, that height was a big advantage for me because I could make
baskets. I was very aggressive and competitive too. Then, when my kids
were little I pitched for an all women’s softball team that was
sponsored by Taco Bell. We were called THE TACO SUPREMES. I have always
had the skinniest legs and I remember one game when I was pitching and
we were winning and the other team started calling me bird legs,
taunting me. All that did was make me pitch better, determined not to
let them get to me.

Both of my sons played sports their whole lives, starting out with
t-ball when they were very young. They both played basketball and
football as well. I watched my youngest son become the star pitcher for
his high school baseball team. We even had a New York Yankees scout come
to our house his junior year to interview him. They were seriously
considering drafting him, but that same year he tore his rotator cuff
and ended that dream, though he still played, he never got back that 96
mile an hour fast ball. However, he did end up receiving a partial
baseball scholarship to a small university in south Texas. I really
believe that Justin’s leadership abilities began with sports. He has
always been the guy his friends looked up to because he is a winner,
even when he loses.

With all of that said, and those experiences to back me up, it comes
to me that the main thing I learned from the world of sports is that you
must never, ever give up. In life, as in sports, it is determination,
commitment, persistence, and the belief in yourself and your dreams that
make the difference between winning and losing. It’s not the score, and
no matter how bad things might look, there is always another game.
Sports has taught me that the outcome is never guaranteed, but if you
have the right attitude, you can handle anything that comes your way.
The world of sports has taught me that I am made of strong stuff and
that adversity builds character. When things look bleak you cannot give
up. You have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get on with it.
If you do this you can rest assured that when the final whistle blows,
no matter the outcome, you are a winner because you didn’t quit.